Diodati - Susurrus Lake
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The "Susurrus Lake" album from neo-classical trio Diodati requires attention, at least in the initial phase of familiarizing with the material. Despite some plasticity of music contained on the album, it leaves a lot of room for imagination, as some shapes hiding behind a veil of mist rising in the evening on a water’s surface. These musical understatements perfectly create dreamlike atmosphere (sometimes dashed by dissolving vapors by a firmer blast of sounds) that permeates the theater of leading in the forefront piano, cello, singer/narrator and contrabass and others, expanding the actors’ sound. Theatricality of this music is performed mainly by spare compositions, sound imitations of reality ("Das Karussell"), scenic nature of lyrics ("Die Hurenkönigin"), and finally by the singer’s manner, who chants lyrics just in this typical artistic manner, rarely resorting to a simple singing, using mainly parlando or sprechgesang, using sometimes whispering or short mormorando. The voice used flexibly by Gwydion Enbarr makes listener to feel as though hearing very extensive, yet sophisticated poetry evening. As if you took a box place and watched the spectacle, which takes place on the stage imitating surface of cold water, among which circle another images: a masked ball, a man, who is slowly filled by despair, throne of whores queen, dark shadows cast by the trees. This character accompanies mainly the first part of the album, filled with melancholy and sadness, and in this sense "Susurrus Lake" has a romantic character that will allow to establish friendship members of Diodati with Ludwik II Wittelsbach.
Balanced, calm on the surface music has expressive base and complements mutually the lyrics, speaking of despair, love or loneliness, but not hurting ears with clumsy constructions, but careful, sophisticated, poetic and getting to the core phrases. Apart from using in several compositions texts from German literature canon of the twentieth century, the trio breaks rule of simplicity, creating sometimes imaginative, surprising symbols, as in "Pandora's biggest failure".
On the "Susurrus Lake" classical, mature arrangements meet with elements of industrial, acoustic guitar that accompanies cello, and – here is waiting a real surprise - melancholic, classical sounds of strings correspond even with jazz fragments in the second part of the release. All this while maintaining a characteristic style and sense of coherence.
The album begins with an instrumental "Der Dom" intriguing the listener with changes of pace, restraining and increasing role of the individual instruments, among which dominate piano and cello, playing with the mood swings, which are like going out and being born anew (with inherent anxiety) hope. That is how we enter the ballroom in baroque disguise of "Maskenball" which is melorecited in French. Mask play absorbs completely, revealing its other faces and you completely do not know, whether vampiric mask of the lyrical subject is not its real face. Industrial elements in "Despair" intersperse with piano passages and notes of cello dripped with sadness, which eventually include all the power, when the singer goes silent. Gently starts "Near," in which special attention can be paid also to contrabass play, and which melancholic beauty combined with a simple question of a chorus creates a very depressing atmosphere. Row of expressionistic poet Georg Trakl serves as a whispered lyric to a modest "Elis", standing in contrast to the "Die Hurenkönigin". Here too, the words were borrowed from literature, namely from "Der Spiegel im Spiegel" of Michael Ende. This is probably the best composition on the album, and its unique theatricality results from an unusual dialogue enriched with scene’s description, didascalia and roles division, where the title role plays in an actor’s way the voice of Sonja Kraushofer from L'Âme Immortelle and Persephone, which together with musical development of the composition (rhythm, melodramatic strings and piano, elements of noise) launches an amazing experience.
The second part of the album is separated from the first one by instrumental title track, a little brighter mood is an introduction to a more invigorating and energetic sounds. While in "You" we have repeated motifs from "Despair" and "Near", it differs with a sudden change of mood at the end to a darker, industrial, desperately angry, which, in my opinion, although makes the composition more dynamic, does not serve it well. Similar changes, albeit done in much better way, appear gradually over the whole "Pandora's biggest failure", and finally transform into jazz phrases on the angry reproach background. As in the club, where swing reigns, we will feel when, danceable, energetic "Shades" will play, extremely delightful to the ear, especially, since the band does not break off from the classic sound. Short but a tasty piece. Before tasting it Diodati present still musical and lyrical (in lyric’s structure) imitating the metaphorical "Das Karussell", in which you can feel the spirit of Anna-Varney Cantodei (also in singer’s chanting at the end). After similar to "Susurrus Lake", instrumental "Für den Tänzer" remains outro "Flicker" where choir sings a cappella by Gwydion Enbarr and classically by male voices at different heights.
To fully appreciate "Susurrus Lake" (although the second part seems to be less polished musically despite some surprises), you need to overcome one obstacle - the album requires concentration and during the first listening it bores easily. It will fulfill its role in chamber music concerts or during an evening spent alone, but it lacks potential to stay in most music players for longer. I compare it to the minimalistic version of Bacio di Tosca or "Six pieds sous terre" album from RoBERT, or to Sopor Aeternus & The Ensemble of Shadows, but most compositions lack the individual character that could catch attention right away. However, if you need something that hangs between dream and reality, gives a rest, not necessarily acting as zolpidem - this album is for you.
Tracklist:
01. Der Dom
02. Maskenball
03. Despair
04. Near
05. Elis
06. Die Hurenkönigin
07. Susurrus Lake
08. You
09. Pandora's biggest failure
10. Das Karussell
11. Shades
12. Für den Tänzer
13. Flicker
Balanced, calm on the surface music has expressive base and complements mutually the lyrics, speaking of despair, love or loneliness, but not hurting ears with clumsy constructions, but careful, sophisticated, poetic and getting to the core phrases. Apart from using in several compositions texts from German literature canon of the twentieth century, the trio breaks rule of simplicity, creating sometimes imaginative, surprising symbols, as in "Pandora's biggest failure".
On the "Susurrus Lake" classical, mature arrangements meet with elements of industrial, acoustic guitar that accompanies cello, and – here is waiting a real surprise - melancholic, classical sounds of strings correspond even with jazz fragments in the second part of the release. All this while maintaining a characteristic style and sense of coherence.
The album begins with an instrumental "Der Dom" intriguing the listener with changes of pace, restraining and increasing role of the individual instruments, among which dominate piano and cello, playing with the mood swings, which are like going out and being born anew (with inherent anxiety) hope. That is how we enter the ballroom in baroque disguise of "Maskenball" which is melorecited in French. Mask play absorbs completely, revealing its other faces and you completely do not know, whether vampiric mask of the lyrical subject is not its real face. Industrial elements in "Despair" intersperse with piano passages and notes of cello dripped with sadness, which eventually include all the power, when the singer goes silent. Gently starts "Near," in which special attention can be paid also to contrabass play, and which melancholic beauty combined with a simple question of a chorus creates a very depressing atmosphere. Row of expressionistic poet Georg Trakl serves as a whispered lyric to a modest "Elis", standing in contrast to the "Die Hurenkönigin". Here too, the words were borrowed from literature, namely from "Der Spiegel im Spiegel" of Michael Ende. This is probably the best composition on the album, and its unique theatricality results from an unusual dialogue enriched with scene’s description, didascalia and roles division, where the title role plays in an actor’s way the voice of Sonja Kraushofer from L'Âme Immortelle and Persephone, which together with musical development of the composition (rhythm, melodramatic strings and piano, elements of noise) launches an amazing experience.
The second part of the album is separated from the first one by instrumental title track, a little brighter mood is an introduction to a more invigorating and energetic sounds. While in "You" we have repeated motifs from "Despair" and "Near", it differs with a sudden change of mood at the end to a darker, industrial, desperately angry, which, in my opinion, although makes the composition more dynamic, does not serve it well. Similar changes, albeit done in much better way, appear gradually over the whole "Pandora's biggest failure", and finally transform into jazz phrases on the angry reproach background. As in the club, where swing reigns, we will feel when, danceable, energetic "Shades" will play, extremely delightful to the ear, especially, since the band does not break off from the classic sound. Short but a tasty piece. Before tasting it Diodati present still musical and lyrical (in lyric’s structure) imitating the metaphorical "Das Karussell", in which you can feel the spirit of Anna-Varney Cantodei (also in singer’s chanting at the end). After similar to "Susurrus Lake", instrumental "Für den Tänzer" remains outro "Flicker" where choir sings a cappella by Gwydion Enbarr and classically by male voices at different heights.
To fully appreciate "Susurrus Lake" (although the second part seems to be less polished musically despite some surprises), you need to overcome one obstacle - the album requires concentration and during the first listening it bores easily. It will fulfill its role in chamber music concerts or during an evening spent alone, but it lacks potential to stay in most music players for longer. I compare it to the minimalistic version of Bacio di Tosca or "Six pieds sous terre" album from RoBERT, or to Sopor Aeternus & The Ensemble of Shadows, but most compositions lack the individual character that could catch attention right away. However, if you need something that hangs between dream and reality, gives a rest, not necessarily acting as zolpidem - this album is for you.
Tracklist:
01. Der Dom
02. Maskenball
03. Despair
04. Near
05. Elis
06. Die Hurenkönigin
07. Susurrus Lake
08. You
09. Pandora's biggest failure
10. Das Karussell
11. Shades
12. Für den Tänzer
13. Flicker
